Guide of the Sichuan Tang Clan C62
by berryChapter 62
Flower petals drifted beneath the surface of the lake.
One by one, they floated down as though falling from unseen trees, quickly filling the water around them.
The petals spread out as if searching for someone.
The instant they touched Eunmyeong, they began to glow.
Bathed in a soft pink light, Eunmyeong stared at them.
Plum blossoms.
Doh Seowon…?
Before he even had a chance to look behind him, the petals gathered into one place.
Though delicate and thin, they aligned themselves into the unmistakable shape of a sword.
At that very moment, a powerful arm wrapped firmly around Eunmyeong’s waist.
“Ugh.“
In an instant, the sword of plum blossoms formed in Seowon’s hand.
Falling Plum Blossoms (梅花落落).
The moment he swung the sword, the falling petals sliced cleanly through the corpse—from its wrist all the way to its head.
As though it had been nothing more than an illusion, the petals dissolved into the lake.
Holding Eunmyeong securely, Seowon swam toward the surface.
“Haah…!”
Breaking through the water, Eunmyeong expelled the breath he’d been holding and burst into a fit of coughing.
As he hacked up the water he’d swallowed, Seowon, just as Sowoon had done earlier, pressed several of his acupoints.
Only after catching his breath did Eunmyeong fully regain his senses.
Seowon was still gripping his shoulders tightly, as though afraid he might disappear.
“…Senior Brother?”
A sense of foreboding crept up his spine.
This wasn’t the Seowon he knew.
In the darkness, Seowon watched him silently.
His crimson eyes glowed like those of a beast that had finally caught its prey.
Not once did his gaze waver.
He had absolutely no intention of letting Eunmyeong go.
Those…
Were not human eyes.
Only then did Eunmyeong realize—
The demonic energy he’d still been sensing hadn’t been coming from the lake.
It was coming…
From Seowon.
“Senior Brother… do you recognize me?”
Eunmyeong placed a hand against Seowon’s chest.
His energy flow had changed completely.
Instead of flowing smoothly, it surged wildly, swelling and twisting together around the center of his chest.
To stop it from spiraling further out of control, Eunmyeong wrapped both arms around him.
Nestling into his embrace, he looked up.
“Senior Brother.”
“…”
“Senior Brother Seowon… please say something.”
“Have you ever called me that before?”
The deep voice that answered jolted him awake.
This…
Wasn’t Seowon.
The moment Eunmyeong tried to withdraw his arms—
The other man embraced him even tighter.
“‘Senior Brother.'”
“You looked so miserable every time you heard that.”
“And yet…”
“It seems you wanted to hear it here as well.”
“…Who are you?”
At the question, the man slowly twisted his lips into a smile.
“We’ve met before.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”
“…We’ve met?”
“Didn’t you spit in front of my cave before leaving?”
“You insolent little thing.”
Eunmyeong sucked in a sharp breath.
Back then…
The Seowon he’d met wasn’t the gentle one.
It had been…
This Seowon.
The memory of the rampaging swordsman tearing through the forest came flooding back, and Eunmyeong shivered.
“…Now, now.”
“I wasn’t trying to frighten you.”
The hand around Eunmyeong’s back slowly slid upward.
Since he’d already taken off his clothes to bathe, every inch of that touch felt painfully vivid.
The hand climbed over his shoulder…
Then stopped at his slender neck.
Like someone idly playing an instrument, the man tapped lightly against the center of his throat.
“If I’d wanted to kill you…”
“You’d already be dead.”
“What difficulty is there in snapping a neck this delicate?”
“…”
“There would’ve been no reason to save someone flailing helplessly in the water.”
He was right.
The only reason Eunmyeong had managed to guide Seowon during the rampage was because, in the end…
Seowon himself had accepted the guiding.
More importantly…
Whether sane or insane, this man had just saved him from whatever lurked beneath the lake.
The murderous intent and demonic energy were also far weaker than they had been that day.
Realizing he wasn’t about to die, some of his fear subsided.
“So…”
Eunmyeong met his eyes.
“Why have you appeared now?”
“You’ve been quiet this whole time.”
“What?”
“You don’t like that I came out?”
“…A little.”
“…”
“I mean…”
“Just a little.”
The brutally honest answer sharpened the man’s gaze.
His large hand wrapped around the back of Eunmyeong’s neck, as though ready to snap it.
“N-No!”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I was just curious.”
“I thought you’d disappeared.”
“Disappear?”
He let out a quiet scoff.
“You know better than anyone that’s impossible.”
Taking Eunmyeong’s hand, he guided it to the center of his own chest.
“This…”
He pressed Eunmyeong’s palm firmly against it.
“…will never come undone.”
Even through his soaked robes, Eunmyeong could feel it.
Every beat of Seowon’s heart.
Every twist of the tangled energy inside him.
“As long as we’re alive…”
“It’ll only keep tangling tighter.”
“If luck abandons us…”
“This body will eventually burst apart.”
“…”
“So I’ll continue existing as well.”
“If he keeps forcing his internal energy like this…”
“I’ll come out again.”
The heartbeat.
The grinding, twisting flow of energy.
It echoed loudly in Eunmyeong’s ears.
Seowon must have listened to this sound countless times while trapped inside that cave.
“I don’t want to kill anyone anymore… So… please just kill me instead.”
The sorrowful voice of the gentle Seowon echoed in Eunmyeong’s memory.
If this monster still existed inside him…
Could Seowon truly continue living?
“Would you… hug me?”
The image of the pitiful Seowon surfaced in his mind.
Eunmyeong slowly withdrew his hand from Seowon’s chest.
Then took one step back.
Standing in the darkness, Seowon’s soaked robes appeared almost gray beneath the moonlight.
The sculpted muscles beneath them and his broad shoulders stood out clearly.
Apparently displeased by the distance, he ground his teeth.
“So…”
Eunmyeong asked carefully,
“Does that mean you won’t kill people anymore?”
“Hm?”
Hope flickered in his eyes.
“You’ve let me live.”
“Isn’t that proof you’ve given up slaughter?”
The man’s smile twisted.
“Given it up?”
“Why would I?”
“It’s far too entertaining.”
“…”
“The only reason you’re still alive…”
“…is because killing you now would destroy this body.”
After saying it casually, he stepped closer by exactly the distance Eunmyeong had retreated.
Ripples spread across the lake.
Towering nearly a shoulder taller, he cast a long shadow over Eunmyeong.
“And besides…”
“I’m finding this much more entertaining than killing.”
“For now.”
Without warning—
He pulled Eunmyeong tightly against him.
Their bodies pressed together until they could feel each other’s warmth.
Lowering his head, he whispered,
“So before I change my mind…”
“You’d better keep me in a good mood.”
“And don’t get cocky.”
“Don’t pull away from me again.”
His lips closed over Eunmyeong’s ear.
He bit gently.
“Ah…!”
As though carving his own mark into him, he left distinct bite marks behind.
A sharp shiver raced through Eunmyeong.
His toes curled.
His shoulders tensed.
Without realizing it, Eunmyeong grabbed hold of Seowon and clutched his drenched robes tightly.
Feeling that response, Seowon’s lips became even bolder.
“Ah… s-stop…”
“Perhaps I should just kill everyone waiting over there.”
“Would that finally shut you up?”
At the threat, Eunmyeong immediately fell silent.
It wasn’t because he doubted the martial artists.
It was because he knew what would happen afterward.
When the real Seowon wakes up…
He’ll only grieve over rampaging again.
“So.”
“You still have enough composure to think about someone else.”
As punishment, Seowon bit his earlobe harder.
Then his lips trailed slowly down Eunmyeong’s neck.
Warm breath brushed against his skin.
Goosebumps spread across his body.
His strength melted away.
Just as he began to fall backward, Seowon caught him with one arm and chuckled softly.
“Pathetically fragile.”
Every place his lips touched bloomed into another plum blossom—
Dark red marks that stood out even beneath the night.
He was relentless.
Eunmyeong’s toes curled tighter.
His thoughts became a tangled mess.
The stimulation pooling through his body left a warm heaviness in his lower abdomen.
Broken breaths escaped between his lips.
As they pressed even closer—
He felt something against him.
That familiar…
Brush-case-sized presence.
Right-sided…!
His mind instantly cleared.
He hurriedly grabbed Seowon’s arm.
“W-Wait!”
“Just a moment!”
“I told you not to interrupt me.”
“You want to come out only this once?”
“Hm?”
His languid gaze swept over the marks scattered across Eunmyeong’s neck.
Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Seowon watched as Eunmyeong hurriedly continued,
“Even if you come out every time he uses too much internal energy…”
“I can just treat him every time.”
“And…”
“If we make sure he doesn’t have to use martial arts so recklessly in the first place…”
“As if that were possible.”
“The Demon Cult is crawling even beneath the bottom of this lake.”
“I’m asking whether you want to keep coming out.”
Eunmyeong poked him lightly in the chest.
“It’s suffocating in there, isn’t it?”
Whenever the gentle Seowon was in control…
This man must have been trapped inside.
Waiting.
Watching.
He’d already admitted his desire to kill had never completely disappeared.
No wonder he felt imprisoned.
For a long moment…
He remained silent.
Eunmyeong swallowed nervously.
If he can’t disappear completely…
Then they’ll have to coexist.
And if possible… no one can ever find out.
If anyone learned the murderous Seowon still existed…
The real Seowon would never survive.
He had no idea how even the Tang Clan would react.
It would be safer to hide this from Mujin and everyone else as well.
Which means…
I have to persuade him to go back inside.
Enough time had already passed for a simple bath.
If they delayed much longer, someone from camp might come looking.
Though… my own body is the more urgent problem.
“I’ll let you out once a week.”
“Every two days.”
“Once every half month.”
“Every two days.”
“…Then once a month.”
His firm refusal made Seowon rake a hand through his wet hair in irritation.
His lips moved slightly.
It looked as though he were muttering curses.
“And why should I trust your promise?”
“If you don’t keep it…”
“What exactly can I do?”
Even while speaking, his gaze roamed slowly over Eunmyeong’s body.
Every glance felt like another touch.
Flustered, Eunmyeong sank deeper into the lake until the water reached his neck.
“Then let’s do this.”
Seowon lifted Eunmyeong’s chin.
Those vivid crimson eyes seemed ready to swallow him whole.
“If a week passes…”
“…and I come out again…”
“This time…”
“I won’t stop.”
The instant the words left his mouth—
Seowon lowered his head.
And kissed him.